News

A review of 2018 events

At our last meeting of the year and Christmas get-to-gether we welcomed The Black Pig Border Morris dancers. They were named after the ship of the infamous Captain Pugwash, Black Pig Border was formed in 1986 in Langley Mill/Eastwood on the Nottingham and Derby border. Over the years they have developed their own style of Border Morris performing both traditional dances and some of their own invention.They wear brightly coloured tailcoats and top hats festooned with feathers, flowers, ribbons and bells. It was a fantastic evening where some of our members even got up and joined them. This years buffet was excellent with some some amazing puddings provided by our members.

Fantastic turnout for our November meeting. Christmas Cookery with Brenda Featherstone. Some amazing ideas and all quick to make. Tasted pretty good as well. Our competition was an Old Cookery Book. Brenda decided to award the win to A Shetland Cook Book.

October 2nd was our AGM with a fish and Chip Supper, where we said goodbye to Margaret who has served Blackfordby WI as its President for the last five years and nine as treasurer.  We wish our new president. Ann and her committee well for the future.

On September 4th  we were treated to a evening of Juggling and other Circus Skills by John Parnell
John first started Hula Hooping in 2006 at the age of 53 and soon went on to sell hoops on-line, because very few places sold hoops suitable for adults in those days.
John moved on to teaching Adults at the start of 2007, followed by performing on stage and TV, Yes the Hoop Guy has been seen on ITVs "This Morning" program where he taught Matt Johnson to hoop, plus he has also appeared on "Got to Dance" receiving great comments from Ashley Banjo for his Hoop Dance routine. He has also been on Britain’s Got Talent. Add picture

On August 8th over twenty Blackfordby WI members, husbands and a grandchild met at Moira Miners’ Welfare Centre for an evening of croquet. We were warmly welcomed by a group of members of the club. Most of us had never played before, so after being given a mallet and a ball we were instructed on how to strike the ball.

We were then divided into groups of four, and with our coach made our way over to a pitch. The rules of the game we played (Golf Croquet) were quite simple. Working in teams of two we hit our own coloured ball through a series of hoops finishing by hitting a stick and scoring points along the way.

It was great fun and lots of chatter and laughter could be heard as we soon realised a good strategy was to hit your opponents ball out of the way if it was well set up to go through the hoop.
Our teachers were very patient advising us on placement of our balls and after some exciting games we retired to the Club House for a drink and some lovely refreshments. We enjoyed our first taster session of croquet!

July 3rd Another very interesting Speaker, Wendy Coley, who gave an enlightening, talk on medical detection dogs. How, with their amazing sense of smell, they can pick up life-threatening conditions such as diabetes and some cancers.  

In June 'The Mental Health Resolution' was discussed and voted for unanimously. Polly from Ashby Spa will take it to the conference in Cardiff
The rest of the evening was taken up by a beetle Drive which Gill organized. There was a lot of noise and hilarity. It was a great evening for talking to different members and having a natter.
We also had a sales table where members could sell homemade items and we sold scarves for our own funds.There were some brilliant competition entries

May's speaker was Julie Ede:  Gabrielle [Coco] Chanel   
What a fantastic life story told by Julie you could have heard a pin drop in the hall.
Coco Chanel was a French fashion designer and business woman who kept her true life and reputation under wraps. She had a very poor childhood which made her want for better things, a very ambitious woman prepared to go to any length to get what she wanted. She was the founder of the Chanel Brand of fashion, décor and cosmetics, her signature fragrance Chanel no 5.
Post WW1 she was credited with liberating women from the corset, designing soft tailored outfits with a sporty ease of wear look. Her interlocking CC monogram was 1st seen in the 1920’s.
She really was a very controversial character who in later life became very tyrannical and lonely, she continued working in her 80’s still a size 8, hardly ever eating, just smoking and drinking champagne she died age 87.
Her fashion label continues today known by almost every woman in the world

We had interesting talk by David Tideswell in April entitled: The Blue Tit raising a family. David was a very interesting and amusing speaker. His presentation was full of facts and useful tips, and at the same time humorous and light hearted. David is a regular radio and TV expert on all matters ornithological.

David’s recipe for Fat Balls
4oz lard,1 cup plain flour,1 cup crushed digestive biscuits, 1 cup finely crushed peanuts. Mix together into a stiff dough, stuff crevices with it or knead into a ball and STAND BACK! Add image

At our march meeting Dr Iain M Hambling who is the Archivist & Historian for T.G.Green & Co Ltd, gave an interesting talk on the history of Cornishware, which is a striped kitchenware brand trademarked to and manufactured by T.G. Green & Co Ltd.
Originally a collector in 1991, he then spent 2015 exhibiting and lecturing at nearby Sharpe's Pottery Museum in Swadlincote. Iain received a Heritage Funding Grant in 2016, and now runs the company's archive office and museum display based on the principles of the Geffrye Museum in London.
The archive is in a natural setting in Church Gresley, currently open to the public by invitation or appointment.  For more information http://www.gresleypottery.uk  or https://www.pinterest.co.uk/tggreenmuseum/

For our first meeting of the New Year 2nd January we were treated to a feast of amusing and entertaining anecdotes together with an introduction to the finer points of Hedge Laying from our guest speaker Clive Matthew. Clive has over 40 years experience in Hedge Laying and has won numerous trophies and titles in nationwide competitions including Supreme Champion Hedge Layer. Clive donated his fees to the charity—Disabled Christian Fellowship Holidays—which he actively supports.ladies of the Night - David Price

A review of 2017 events

Tuesday 5TH DECEMBER - CHRISTMAS PARTY

On Tuesday we had our Christmas concert with music from The Enderby Band. Good Food, company and entertainment! Thanks to everyone who helped.

7TH NOVEMBER - Witches and Witchcraft in Tudor Times.

At our last meeting Sandy Leong gave us an interesting talk on Witches and Witchcraft in Tudor Times.

Behind the stereotypical image of the witch flying on a broomstick wearing a back pointy hat lies a long history of trials, persecution & torture that claimed the lives of hundreds of women & men.

The first English Statute was brought in by Henry VIII in 1542 when no one was safe from the accusation of witchcraft which took hold in Tudor times.

AUTUMN FAIR 4TH NOVEMBER 

A pictorial view of our Autumn Fair celebrating 80 years!

80TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

Myths of Belly Dancing with Roxanne Dinsdale

5th September:  Ayshe gave us a lively hour of myth busting, informative and amusing tales about Belly dancing. She was a great speaker, very funny and gave an interesting look at the history of belly Dancing.

LAUGHING YOGA

August 1st: Tonight we had Anne Huckerby come and talk to us about laughing yoga. The room was full of fun and laughter and everyone seemed to have a lovely time.

CALKE ABBEY GARDENS

Tuesday 2nd May: The talk was on Calke Abbey Gardens by Celia Sanger. A very interesting and informative talk. The competition: Single Fresh Flower

BEHIND THE SCENES ON STAGE AND TV

On Tuesday 4th April we had Lynette Watson come to talk to us about behind the scenes on stage and on TV. She spoke to us about her work in programmes such as The Bill, Bad Girls, Doctors and her young debut in St Trinians the Great Train Robbery. It was an enjoyable and very informative evening.

GROUP MEETING

March 7^th Group meeting. We had a light supper and then The Black Pig Morris Dancers entertained us.

DESERT ISLAND DISC'S TOP TEN

Our meeting of 7th February was our own version of Desert Island Discs by our very own Gill Massey.

Desert Island Discs was introduced to the listening public as "a programme in which a well-known person is asked the question, if you were to be cast away alone on a desert island, which eight gramophone records would you choose to have with you, assuming of course, that you had a gramophone and an inexhaustible supply of needles".